Credit: NFL.com
NFL Predictions and Opinons: NFC East Edition
Published: Saturday, August 17, 2024
by Ryan Nelke and Chris Heite
The NFC East has not had a repeat winner for the last 19 years, as the Cowboys came away with the division this past season. It didn’t look that way for a while though, as the Eagles more or less forgot how to play football down the later stretch, handing the division to Dallas on a silver platter. However, with the Cowboys' most recent win, is it safe to say there is now a three team race between the Eagles, Commanders, and Giants?
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Let’s be realistic though…the Commanders under a rookie QB and the below-average Giants really have no chance at winning the East. So, this article can be very short and sweet, as we simply crown the Eagles 2024 NFC East champs. However, a one-paragraph article would not get past the approval of our editors, so let’s get straight into our predictions for the NFC East…
(Editor's note: they were right, it very much would not.)
The Philadelphia Eagles
Due to almost a two decade long pattern, it seems like the Eagles are the next heir to the NFC East throne. Philly is one of the top teams in the entire NFC, and seems poised to continue being perennial contenders for the next several years. But this is not the same Eagles offense, as they made arguably the biggest splash of the off-season by getting former Giants RB Saquon Barkley. This adds to an already elite offense led by QB Jalen Hurts and elite pass catchers AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. On defense, Philadelphia replaced LB Haason Reddick with former Jets LB Bryce Huff as well as brought in DB CJ Gardner-Johnson. While the Eagles did undergo a historic collapse at the end of last season, I still believe this is a top-notch squad, which is why I have them winning the East with a 12-5 record.
-Ryan Nelke
For the past three or four years, the Eagles have been a powerhouse in the NFL, in
terms of both offense and defense. At least they were, up until last year, where the
team saw their share of struggles coming off a Super Bowl-bound season in the 2022-2023
season. The Eagles had a tough season for their high standards, but I believe this
year will be different. The biggest addition to the team in the offseason was Saquon
Barkley, who will be one of the keys to the Eagles’ success. With the offense already
solid with Jalen Hurts and his top receiver AJ Brown, the offense will be hard to
stop. The offense is not everything, of course, but the Eagles' defense has already
proven themselves to be solid, and I believe that they will be one of the most underrated
defenses in the league. A great offense paired with a solid defense will lead the
Eagles to success this year, winning the division with a 12-5 record.
-Chris Heite
The Dallas Cowboys
Once again, another promising Cowboys season ended in an epic collapse. They became the first ever two-seed to lose to a seven-seed, courtesy of Jordan Love and the Packers. With the Cowboys still striving to be a yearly contender, one would think they would make some big off-season additions. Instead, it was the opposite. Jerry Jones sat in his office and did a lot of nothing, losing CB Stephon Gilmore, OT Tyron Smith, and RB Tony Pollard, while bringing in former star franchise RB Ezekiel Elliott. It seems as if no one told Jones it isn’t 2018 anymore, back when Zeke was in his prime and led the league in rushing yards. Dak Prescott will be tasked with putting this team on his shoulders, and I think he’s capable of getting them to the playoffs. However, a Cowboys playoff letdown is an annual holiday at this point, and Prescott will have to prove otherwise. I have Dallas securing the second Wild Card at 10-7, but not going much further after that.
-Ryan Nelke
Cowboy fans… is this the year? I sure do not think so, but I do think it’ll be a solid
year for the team with some regular-season success. With Dak Prescott at the helm,
I believe that the passing game will be decent, but nothing special for “America’s
Team”. With the losses of big names like Tony Pollard and Stephon Gilmore in the offseason,
the team will certainly have holes to fill in the offensive scheme. The only spark
on offense for the Cowboys comes in the form of Ezekiel Elliott, who is making his
return to the team after a year away. Elliott was solid in his first stint with the
Cowboys, and there is hope and intrigue for the team on offense. On the other side
of things, Dallas has seemingly always had a decent defense, and I believe they will
continue to get the job done. While I do believe there will be success for the Cowboys,
I think it will be another mediocre season yet again for Dallas, and I have them finishing
10-7. They most certainly won’t go more than two rounds in the playoffs.
-Chris Heite
The New York Giants
It may get easy to get hyped up by the Giants off-season through watching HBO’s Hard Knocks, but let’s come back to reality. This team is still headed by QB Daniel Jones, who for the most part has been extremely disappointing for the G-Men, in part due to lackluster play and a bundle of injuries. In what will be all but Jones’ last chance to prove himself, it doesn’t help that New York lost the backbone of their offense, as Saquon Barkley departed for one of their biggest rivals. With the addition of Malik Nabers though, Jones will finally be able to throw to a true #1 receiver. While the outlook on the 2024 Giants season may not seem great, their defense is one to watch out for. They boast arguably the best defensive line, comprised of Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the recently acquired Brian Burns. Even though I have the Giants going 4-13, they have sleeper potential for a Wild Card spot if Daniel Jones can be serviceable and the D-Line can carry the team to success.
-Ryan Nelke
You know it’s going to be a tough season when many fans of the team are hopeless.
That sums up how I see the Giants this season. One glaring issue for many fans is
Daniel Jones still being at QB. Jones has proven to be a less-than-stellar passer,
and even with a better offensive line, the issue of not having a good arm can’t be
fixed. Even with the new addition of rookie standout Malik Nabers, I still believe
the offense will prove to be lackluster. With the loss of Barkley as their running
back, even with the new addition of Devin Singletary, the running game will struggle.
There is a bright spot on this Giants team though: the defense. With Kayvon Thibodeaux
leading the charge, the defense has proven itself to be one of the better up-and-coming
runs and pass-stoppers in the league. The defense is solid.. the offense is not so
much. I don’t believe it will be a good year for the Giants, and I have them finishing
5-12, making them last in the division.
-Chris Heite
The Washington Commanders
The future is bright in Washington, as they selected LSU star QB Jayden Daniels with the #2 overall pick. However, the key word in that sentence is “future.” Aside from Houston’s CJ Stroud, it’s almost impossible to see a QB bring their team to the playoffs immediately. I think this will be a development year for this new look Commanders team under second-time head coach Dan Quinn. The offensive cast gets a middle of the road grade, as they have a solid WR in Terry McLaurin, but nothing else to write home about; RB Austin Ekeler and TE Zach Ertz are past their prime, and RB Brian Robinson Jr. is good, but not great. The defense has lost much of its previous talent and might be a cause for concern this season. Hopefully Daniels can develop in his first season as there won’t be many other positives. I have the Commanders finishing last in the division at 4-13.
-Ryan Nelke
I think it’s safe to say it’s been a rough few years for the Washington Commanders.
With bad loss after bad loss the past couple of seasons, hope has seemingly been lost
for the team as well. However, I strongly believe this year will be different. With
Jayden Daniels being the QB now, I believe the offensive potential for the Commanders
is at an all time high. Daniels was exceptional in college, and with Terry McLaurin
at WR1 and Austin Ekeler in the backfield, I think the offense will be solid. In fact,
I think it will be a mini breakout year for the Commanders offense, similar to the
Texans and CJ Stroud. While the defense on paper may be less than stellar, I do believe
it’s going to be one of the best years in a while for Washington. Daniels is going
to be solid, and the team is going to win games. I have the Commanders finishing 9-8
and just missing the playoffs, but finding success in the beginning of this new QB
era.
-Chris Heite
Ryan Nelke’s Projected NFC East Standings
1) Eagles (12-5)
2) Cowboys (10-7), 2nd Wild Card
3) Giants (4-13)
4) Commanders (4-13)
Chris Heite’s Projected NFC East Standings
1) Eagles (12-5)
2) Cowboys (10-7)
3) Commanders (9-8)
4) Giants (5-12)
The NFC East always proves to be one of the more interesting divisions in football, with all the starpower and playoff drama at the forefront. Find out how it all pans out when the season kicks off on September 5th…
Ryan Nelke can be reached at ryan.nelke@student.shu.edu Chris Heite can be reached at chris.heite@student.shu.eduPosted in: sports,